Seymour Schwartz, Briarwood Civic LeaderBriarwood’s Seymour Schwartz is so involved in civic life that it’s hard to keep track of everything he’s done. For more than two decades, Schwartz was the president of the Briarwood Community Asso...

Ann Bruno, 114th Precinct Community CouncilLifelong Astoria resident Ann Bruno was recently hailed as the “Mayor of Astoria.” The 89-year-old has served as president of the 114th Precinct Community Council for the last 27 years. She’s been ...

Deborah Kass, Brooklyn ArtistDeborah Kass’s work is seen in museums around the country, from Boston and Washington, D.C. to New Orleans and right here in New York City. A member of the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Hall of...

Jazha Thompson, Catholic Charities SYEP AssistantAt age 16, Jazha Thompson already knows she wants to be a professional basketball player when she grows up. The downtown Brooklyn native has been playing since she was a child. Growing up, she was ...

William Spisak, Chhaya CDCFor the South Asian community in Queens, a Jackson Heights organization called Chhaya CDC has provided steady services on important issues. William Spisak, director of programs at Chhaya, said the ...

Maria Vielma, CB2 MemberFormer president John F. Kennedy, who would’ve turned 100 this year, famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Those words inspired a generati...

John Rowan, VVA PresidentA memorial for Vietnam veterans is coming to Elmhurst Park in 2019. For John Rowan, there’s no better spot to honor those who gave their life in service to the country. Rowan, an Elmhurst native, s...

Glendaliz Castro, Program Director/PS 71Ridgewood resident Glendaliz Castro helped start an after-school program at PS 71, where her kids went to elementary school two years ago. Castro was the president of the parents' association, and ...

Bomsinae Kim, Executive Director of KAFSCBomsinae Kim began her involvement with the Korean American Family Service Center as a 24-hour hotline volunteer, a funder and later a board member. Now, she leads the community nonprofit that supp...

Maureen Fonseca, SASF CEODr. Maureen Fonseca has always been passionate about education, especially providing opportunities for children with few advantages or resources. She went to a good school in her native Guyana, but...

Rattanpreet Singh Kohli, CIANA civics teacherRattanpreet Singh Kohli has found his true calling. By day, he’s a volunteer civics teacher at CIANA, a nonprofit organization that offers programs to help newly-arrived immigrants. At night, he wo...